My XF experiences in Vancouver! (includes spoilers for Connie & Carla, and indepth news about the X-Tour.)
Penny Jeffrey
Hi!
Before I even begin to telling everyone about the fantastic X-File location
tour in the city of Vancouver, lets start with a bit of luck that came my
way. DD had been promoting the new movie 'Connie & Carla' and it premiered
two days before I flew to Canada with Mum. (I knew nothing of this until I
got to Vancouver.) So, first of all on Thursday, April 15th when I got to
Calgary, I was channel surfing in the hotel room, and saw the coming
attractions for C&C, which was going to be released on Friday! The next day
I caught him on a chat show! Couldn't believe my luck! I suggested to Mum
that maybe we could go and see the film when we got to Vancouver? She was
apprehensive at first, but discovered the female lead (who wrote the script)
also wrote and starred in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' which she loved. So had
a feeling she'd enjoy this one?
On my travels I discovered that DD is still very popular with folks (even if
they do accuse him of saying it rained all the time!) <g> I met a couple of
avid fans, a lady assistant on the Jasper cable car, who as I left called
out, 'Goodbye another Duchovny fan!' Then there was the lady serving in a
Subway in Kamloops who was keen to see the new film as well. I also met a
few people who had met him in Vancouver. Well of course there was Boyd (the
guy who runs the X-Tour) who had at the time let XF film outside, and inside
his mother's suite (Scully's appartment) in Season 2, having no idea what
this 'hokey little sci-fi show' would become! <g> But then after all these
years, he recently met DD again filming in Vancouver's Gastown, for 'Connie
& Carla'. Needless to say the fans on his tour (Japanese) got more than they
bargined for that day! Then when I went on the North Shore/ Grouse Mountain
trip, our guide Sean from the local West Coast Sightseeing mini bus tours
decided to make me jealous. <G> He used to be a gardener, and ended up doing
the garden belonging to DD's next door neighbour, while DD rented a place in
the Kitsilano area (not far from Mulder's original appartment location.)
Sean said how DD used to say 'hi' to him over the fence every morning!
(Incidently, I thought Sean looked a little bit like Krycek!) <g> I also
found out that one of the Jetsave representatives (the tour co. we went with
from UK) played a vampire in "Bad Blood" 5/12. Our Canadian guide from
Jetsave, Ron also had a friend in the company who was Scully's double, and
he used to tease her all the time by calling her this! <G> And there was a
female tour guide (West Coast Sightseeing) on the Victoria tour who had met
William Davis. She said she could smell a heavy scent of smoke on him. (But
I thought he didn't really smoke, only menthol ones on X Files? Still that's
got a worse smell in my opinion!) <g>
<<WARNING! - SPOILERS FOR 'CONNIE AND CARLA' MOVIE>>
It was on the second day in Vancouver, after a trip to Whistler that Mum and
I went to see 'Connie & Carla', at the Odeon on Granville Street, a few
streets down from our hotel. We both loved it! Two women friends have their
sights set on being caberet performers (Nia and co-star had great singing
voices.) Then they get mixed up with crooks and accidentaly make a run for
it with their stash of drugs! They end up in LA, and are getting nowhere
with the singing. Then Nia has a wild idea after seeing a drag show. Both
ladies pretend to be male drag queens, and are a hit! Then DD comes along as
one of the 'queens' brothers, trying to make peace with him, after the guy
left his family. Nia falls hook line and sinker for him, but can't reveal
her true self, for fear of destroying the girls' act as drag queens. So she
keeps making conversation (and literally bumping into him several times!)
He's drawn to him/her, but when they get drunk in a bar and she kisses him,
he panics! The drag queens have a thing for him too! <G> Will he discover
that Nia is really a woman? Go see the movie! I also loved it as it had lots
of songs from musicals, particularly 'Mame' that they kept singing. Erm, all
except DD that is. Well the guy has admited he has a 'bad' singing voice!
<g> There was also a special guest from the world of musicals. When I got
home I immediately bought the soundtrack over the Internet (it's brilliant!)
And I'll get the DVD, whenever it finally gets released.
<<END OF SPOILERS>>
Speaking of Whistler, Mum and I took a trip on the cable car up the
mountain, where I took several photos. Then discovered later that X Files
filmed the Arctic scenes up there. So I'd already been witnessing an XF
location without realising it. This actually happened several times during
my stay. I ended up taking photos of areas that turned out to be XF
locations - talk about 'spooky' intuition! <g> For instance on the way to
Whistler, we stopped at a small area called Britania Beach. I saw an old
Mining Museum and thought it looked familiar, so took a pic of it, and the
tourist stores. Turns out it was the mine in "Paper Clip" 3/2 (Lots of
files...lots 'n lots of files!), and the stores featured as the diner where
M&S met Skinner after being chased in the mine. Then on our return from
Whistler, we stopped in a lovely area called Porteau Cove, where I later
discovered was the site they blew up the train car in "731" 3/10.
Ok, now for the news about the X-Tour. I emailed Boyd when I got home,
thanking him for the wonderful X-perience, and told him I'd be passing on my
news to fans and friends. He thanked me back, saying how he appreciates me
telling fans about the tour. Well if anyone is a huge fan and also
interested in seeing various locations where they shot the series in
Vancouver, you just HAVE to go on this tour! Now nowhere on the website does
it tell you exactly what you'll see (then again Boyd did explain that due to
traffic etc, the tour is different every day.) But I'll explain what
happened when I went on it. It was Friday, April 23rd. I got up early
morning for breakfast in the Marriot Hotel, on Hornby Street. It was raining
quite heavy! Ok, I wanted an X Files tour, but it didn't have to be THAT
authentic! <G> Luckily it did clear up later though. Just after 9.30am, a
huge white limo with a red 'X' on the doors pulled up outside! (Boyd had
emailed me in England saying it would either be the limo or customised van.)
He introduced himself and his driver, then I discovered two ladies were
joining us. A French girl from Paris who's a keen Gillian Anderson fan, and
her friend from Vancouver. Her friend wasn't a fan, but had come along for
the ride. The first important building we saw (which I'd already seen
several times, as it was just up Hornby St, a block from our hotel) was the
William Davis Actors Studio, where many X File guest stars were alumni
there. Also along 'our' street from the hotel is the art gallery
("Gethsemane" 4/24 - the Smithsonian Institute.) From then on we continued
through the city, then got out to observe some locations close by to each
other. Eg, Hotel Vancouver ("Fire" 1/11. Sutton Place Hotel ("Avatar" 3/21 -
when Skinner was with the hooker), Robson Square Skating Rink ("Apocrypha"
3/16 - where the Lone Gunmen were skating.) Then we walked down the steps.
Directly opposite on the other side of the rink were the steps with a huge
fountain behind ("Ascension" 2/6 - where Mulder met Mrs Scully...and also
"Space" 1/8 - where Mulder & Scully met the lady from NASA.) Also in the
area was Senator Mathson's Place ("Ascension") which I think was a theatre.
We returned to the limo and drove to the Granville Square building, and went
inside. I immediately recognised it, as I have an interview with DD on 'This
Morning' (UK chat show) from this location. ( FBI Lobby) We then drove down
to the bay area to the Waterfront Centre Hotel ("Duane Barry" 2/5 - the
famous hostage taking scene outside. (You get a great birds eye view of the
area from the marksman's point of view on the roof of building opposite on
the episode. Also used as Command Centre and Scully's office - Interior.)
Also along the front near Canada Place, shipping terminal was the Plaza Of
Nations ("Little Green Men" 2/1 - Scully in Miami Airport, and "Space") Back
inside the limo I tried to take pics of areas, but unfortunately couldn't
get them all as we drove by. We went down the road where an intersection was
("Leonard Betts" 4/14 - Intersection crash where Betts lost his head!) We
saw a building from ("Fallen Angel" 1/9), looked up Gastown ("Redux II" -
CSM was in crossfire when asking Mulder to change sides. That evening, after
I disembarked from ferry from North Vancouver, Mum and I walked to Gastown,
so I was able to take photos of this location.) From the limo I saw The Meat
Market ("Piper Maru" 3/15 - where Skinner got shot, and "Deep Throat" 1/1 -
where Mulder offered to buy Scully a drink, and met DT), the docks which XF
used both in Vancouver and over the bay on North Shore (N. Vancouver), a
church ("Kaddish" 4/12 - Synagogue) and back to Gastown for a certain street
DD ran down with Nia in 'Connie & Carla'. (Boyd hadn't seen the movie yet,
and since I'd seen it night before I was telling him and the girls exactly
why both actors were running down this street! <g>) Also passed by building
used as a discoteque ("3" 2/7 - where Mulder met Kristen), a building on
Granville street that used to be the Bank Of Montreal ("Lazurus" 1/14),
parking lot (where XF shot all their parking lot scenes!), sports stadium
"Sleepless" 2/4 - where Mulder met X for the first time ), City Square Mall
("Tooms" 1/20 - where Tooms met his demise under an escalator), underpass
(where Consortium met, and when Gibson was kidnapped ("The End" 5/20),
General Motors Place ("The End"). We also drove through Chinatown ("Hell
Money" 3/15 - and anytime they wanted to be in Hong Kong (eg."Piper Maru"
3/15.) As we passed by these Oriental Gardens surrounded by a very high wall
(so you couldn't see it) Boyd explained he'd been told this was also an XF
location, but I think it was from DD's movie 'Playing God'. I was then able
to finally take piccies again, as we passed by 2 Jay's Cafe ("Sleepless"
2/4 - Mulder & Krycek met the owner (sleep deprived victim) inside.
Incidentally even though they called it Kay's Diner the exterior shot
clearly displays 2 Jay's Cafe. Weirdly enough a large white truck went by,
similar to the one that pulls up in the shot! It was also used in "Redux II"
5/3 - when Samantha clone met Mulder.) The next cafe was the Ovaltine (same
name in "Jose Chung's From Outer Space 3/20 - where Mulder ate a whole sweet
potato pie, piece by piece!) We drove past the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting
Corp) used only in the Pilot ( FBI Bullpen, FBI hallway, and Mulder's office
was originally in their basement!) We passed St Augustine's Parish ("All
Souls" 5/17 - Scully's church (scene was filmed on steps), hospital in
"Duane Barry" 2/5 - treatment centre), Viva Tower ("Tunguska" 4/9 -
Skinner's appartment (where Nick Lea hung over the edge above 17 floors!
They also did interior shots in Suite 1708.) It's situated on Howe St, the
street next to our hotel. When I watched the scenes on the VCR, the camera
pans round and you get an ariel view of Hornby street behind. Then we drove
to The Wellington which was Mulder's appartment in "The Erlenmeyer Flask"
1/23. What was funny is that surrounding this building are little houses
with flower gardens on a very pretty avenue, in the Kitsilano area. DD
rented a house further up the street whilst in Vancouver. He wasn't happy
when Mulder's appartment moved locations, since he was so close to it in
season 1. We passed a Safeway grocery store ("Duane Barry" 2/5 - where
Scully put the microchip over a till's sensor and it went nuts! Also in
"Colony" 2/16 - she waited at the bus stop outside.) We then went to 1419
Pendrell Street, which was Scully's appartment ("Ascension" 2/6 and "Duane
Barry 2/5.) It's Boyd's home and they used his mother's suite for exterior
and interior shots, and we were invited inside (but weren't allowed to take
photos.) We sat on the sofa in the small living room while he showed us DVD
clips of "Ascension" (Mulder racing into 1419, then having visions of
Scully's abduction from the living room. (They really did break that window,
but fixed it, and had to ask permission to put fake blood on the floor and
elsewhere.) Mulder also met Mrs Scully in the hall) and "Colony" (where the
two agents were talking to the man who was really the bounty hunter in
disguise. It was kind of fun sitting in this room whilst watching DD and GA
in the same room on the TV screen! :-) He also showed us a clip from a Jet
Lee movie filming in his yard, but I wasn't really interested in this.
Across the hall was a room full of film/TV memorabilia, as this place has
been used a no. of times (even in Chris Carter's 'Harsh Realm'.) There were
a couple of photos framed on the wall of DD, one with his arm around Boyd's
mum and his maid (who he says won't stop bragging about it now! At the time
of filming these XF people were unknowns.) One of the items I found
interesting was Scully's original FBI badge she pinned to her lapel. There
were alien items, and photos of aliens with fans. Apparantly the Japanese
tourists love the 'alien' guys who join them on the X-Tour. Luckily we
didn't experience this! Boyd had also recently met Nick Lea, who was still
in town while I was in Vancouver, as he's filming a movie (sorry, don't know
name.) He had a signed photo with him. There was a guest book that had been
signed by actors who'd filmed in the place. But it didn't include DD or GA,
since like I said, during their visit they were virtually unknown to Boyd.
He had some souvenirs, so I bought the X-Tour tee shirt (black with red 'X'
in circle) for $25.00 (which was about £10.00 for me. Since the Canadian
dollar was $2.40 to the UK pound everything was SO cheap!) If you know about
a UK programme which was called 'Holiday', then you'll understand this next
bit. They advertised the X-Tour on one of the programmes (never saw it) and
Jill Dando interviewed Boyd. She was the reporter who died tragically when
she was shot outside her London home! He had a tribute set up for her in
this room, which I thought was VERY thoughtful. Further up the street was
another building, and he made us guess which XF character it belonged to.
But I can't reveal this - sorry.
Afterwards an even larger white limo (with 'X') pulled up and drove us back
to our hotels. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go to Stanley Park
(because we'd spent a bit of time walking around places.) I did however see
it from Lion's Gate Bridge that we crossed over to North Vancouver that
afternoon, when Mum and I went on the North Shore / Grouse Mountain tour.
They filmed 'Terma' 4/10 at the Stanley Park Works Yard, and in the Rose
Garden for a cemetery scene in "Apocrypha 3/16. When we took the tour to
Victoria on Vancouver island, we picked up a few people in Richmond (another
XF location.)
After my FANTASTIC trip with the X-Tour, Mum and I spent the rest of the day
in North Vancouver, where X-Files filmed numerous episodes. Unfortunately we
didn't see North Shore Studios (where the film sets used to be) or the
Seymour Demonstration Forest (where they shot practically all of the forest
scenes.) But after a bit of a scary walk across the Capilano Suspension
Bridge (think Raiders Of The Lost Ark!) we rode on the Grouse Mountain cable
car. DD hung off it near the top ("Ascension"), and it was the same car! <g>
One of our tour guides, Ron (who was a trainee with Sean) suggested I
re-enact the scene...erm from the cable car station at the bottom that is!
He took a photo of me (in my FBI tee shirt) pretending to hang from the
cable car! <G> I stood exactly where DD stood, only that speed dial
alternator thingy Mulder used is not there. X Files added that prop. The
other cable car passed us by, and I took a piccy. Luckily we weren't going
at the speed Mulder was! <G> When we reached the top I was absolutely
convinced DD hung off the thing, after the last tower? That's only about a
12 foot drop or so onto snow. So I thought he'd cheated a bit? Turns out I
was wrong. When I watched the video at home, he's actually stopped before
the final tower. Ok, there is a HUGE drop below there, so in my opinion I
think he was completely MAD to do this stunt!! <G> The building at the top
(as seen in the episode) was the Peak Chalet with resturant, food court and
shops. Only when Mulder is seen leaving the cable car station, this isn't
the building and neither is the top of 'Skyland Mountain.' This was filmed
at Seymour Mountain, which was also where Duane Barry drove his car with
Scully in the boot. The top of GM was covered in snow, with authentic First
Nations artifacts carved in wood; very beautiful. We also met a couple of
grizzly bears, who are being reared by the Grouse Mountain Refuge for
Endangered Wildlife, ever since their mother's were killed. Aw! I had
enjoyed all my four trips in cable cars, but it was so cool to follow DD's
trip up Grouse Mountain! The view from the top was breathtaking, of
Vancouver. When they filmed DD, they were facing the cameras towards West
Vancouver (as Agent Mulder was supposed to be in Virginia?) The cable car
runs at night as well. When we returned from Vancouver island later in the
week, you could see the mountain all lit up with sparkling lights...very
pretty!
On our return from North Vancouver, we took the ferry back. When we alighted
we walked through this very ornate Rail Terminal building. I discovered
later this was where Mulder and Krycek ran through in "Sleepless" 2/4. I
also noticed the railway yard as I walked through this glass terminal which
led to the building (also used in "Sleepless" and other episodes, but not
"731" 3/9 or "Nisei" 3/10.) Another X-Files moment was when we passed the
docks at Delta (borough) on our way to Vancouver island - though I can't
think which episodes right now) and when we left dead early in the am. and
flew home via Toronto, from Boundary Bay Airport in Delta. They filmed
"Tempus Fugit" 4/17 - crash site and hangar scenes, and "Max" 4/18 in this
vicinity. I also got a photo of dawn over the control tower, which was also
in "Tempus Fugit" 4/17. I also got a distinct feeling that they filmed in
the departure lounge. I checked my video and discovered it was used in
"Tuguska" 4/9 - where M&S and Krycek entered, then both agents chased the
guy with the alien rock in a pouch. M&S ran down a similar departure lounge
and down the ramp where they discovered there was no plane at the end!
Another close encounter of the X-Files kind, was when we passed places on
our wonderful trip on the Rocky Mountaineer Train, from Jasper to Kamloops
(where we stayed a night. Apparantly cast and crew also stayed in this town
when they were filming "Herrenvolk" 4/1 at the little shanty town of
Walhachin, which we passed through the next day on the train to Vancouver.
(I recently watched the episode, and realised Mulder, Jeremia & Sam (clone)
were walking along a steep incline with the Thompson River running below,
beside them. So the railway line couldn't have been far away, as we went
alongside the river. I also realised that Mulder does go to Canada in the
story, but he only mentioned flying to Alberta.) Our guide explained about
the ginseng farms, which was also in the episode, only Mulder discovered it
was corn with the alien virus that bees were pollenating. We also passed
through Fort Langley, Surrey (I think I might have seen the Powertech from
"EBE" 1/16), New Westminster and Burnaby (where we saw a huge film studios
by the railway line.) X-Files used all these places for location shooting.
Thanks to the 'X Marks The Spot' book I have, I found out which ones, only
the list is LONG! If anyone wants photos I'll explain then.
And that concludes my FANTASTIC leap into the X Files locations in
Vancouver! PHEW! It's an experience I'll never forget! If anyone would like
photos, please reply to me through the newsgroups. I'm not giving out my
email address on this, as I had severe problems with SPAM for quite a long
time! If anyone is interested in the 'out of this world' X-Tour, you can
find the website at :- http://x-tour.com OR telephone:- 1-888-250-7211 OR
fax:- (604) 685 8675.
Penny
"Maybe there's hope?"
Mulder - THE TRUTH
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VerlindaH
Penny told us all about. . .
>And that concludes my FANTASTIC leap into the X Files locations in
>Vancouver! PHEW! It's an experience I'll never forget!
Thanks! Sounds like you and your mother had a great time--how nice that she
could come and share the fun with you!
VerlindaH